1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote control system for remotely controlling network devices on a network.
2. Related Background Art
In the past, it has been greatly requested that household audio visual (AV) equipments and/or electrical equipments which are operated solely or operated in connection with another equipment be interconnected by a single network. Such request has been satisfied by a high speed digital communication technique capable of transferring data such as moving image data and voice data which require real time ability and data such as still image data and control data which require reliability of transfer in a mixed condition.
As one method for controlling peripheral equipments interconnected by the network by means of a host equipment, in a household network, a technique in which the host equipment is constituted by a television which provides a user interface and a control panel for operating the peripheral equipment is displayed on a screen of the television and the operator can effect setting in the control panel by using a remote controller of the television so that the peripheral equipments are controlled by the television itself on the basis of such setting is considered.
However, in the above-mentioned method, it is required that the control panel to be displayed and command/program for effecting the control on the basis of the user's setting be previously prepared in the television. Since such command and program must be prepared for each peripheral equipment and many peripheral equipments are connected to the network, the numbers of the control panels, commands and programs are increased considerably. Further, since it is naturally guessed that new equipments are added to the network in the future, if control panels, commands and programs for all of equipments which are to be additionally connected to the network are prepared in the television, the number of the control panels, commands and programs will be further increased. Furthermore, it is impossible to prepare control panels, commands and programs for the future equipments.
In order to solve the above problems, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 11-3314 proposes a system in which control panels are sent from controlled devices connected to a network and a control device such as a television having a display device receives such control panels to display the control panels for the operator so that the operator can send his operation inputs to the controlled devices to control the latter.
FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a construction of such a conventional remote control system.
In FIG. 14, the system includes a network 300, a controlled device 310 and a control device 320. The controlled device 310 sends a control panel of the controlled device 310 to the control device 320. The control device 320 displays the control panel of the controlled device 310 on a display device 324. The operator manipulates or handles the control panel displayed on the display device of the control device 320 to remotely control functions of the controlled device 310.
However, the conventional remote control system arises a problem that, if the functions of the controlled device 310 are highly progressed, the number of operation buttons, switches and the like is also increased accordingly. Thus, the operator manipulating the control device 320 is compelled to complicated operation. Namely, for the operator, there arises a problem that, although he can control higher functions remotely, he is compelled to the complicated operation. Now, this is explained concretely.
For example, when it is assumed that the control device 320 is constituted by a television and the controlled device 320 is constituted by a digital photo-album device capable of effecting accumulation, display and edition of a digital image, a case where a control panel of the digital photo-album device is displayed on the television will be explained.
FIG. 15 is a view showing the control panel of the digital photo-album device displayed on the television in the conventional remote control system.
In FIG. 15, the reference numeral 350 denotes thumbnail-displayed digital photo images A to P which are elements to be selected. The reference numerals 351 to 354 denote process elements to be executed for one element selected among the digital photo images A to P, where the reference numeral 351 denotes display process; 352 denotes right turn process; 353 denotes left turn process; and 354 denotes deletion process. For example, in FIG. 15, since the process element “display” 351 is selected by reversely rotating (black spot displaying) a check box and a cursor is focused on the digital photo image G, when the operator depresses an execution key of a remote controller in this condition, the digital photo image G is displayed in a larger scale.
FIG. 16 is a view showing television screen on which the digital photo image G is displayed in the greater scale.
In FIG. 16, since the cursor is focused on a process element “return” 361, when the operator depresses the execution key of the remote controller in this condition, the control panel displayed on the television is returned to the display of FIG. 15.
Here, for example, it is assumed that the digital photo image C among the thumbnail-displayed digital photo images 350 is displayed in a lateral posture. For example, this corresponds to a photograph obtained by photo-taking an image by means a digital camera positioned in a vertical posture.
In this case, as the operator's manipulation, first of all, a cursor shifting key unit of the remote controller including an up shift key, a down shift key, a left shift key and a right shift key is appropriately manipulated to focus the cursor on the process element “left turn” 353, and then, the execution key is depressed in this condition. As a result, the check box for the process element “display” 351 is not selected and the check box for the process element “left turn” 353 is selected. FIG. 17 is a view showing the control panel of the digital photo-album device in the condition that the check box for the process element “left turn” 353 is selected.
Further, the cursor shifting key unit is appropriately manipulated to focus the cursor on the digital photo image C, and then, the execution key is depressed in this condition. As a result, the digital photo image C is turned by 90 degrees in an anti-clockwise direction and is displayed.
Next, a case where the operator tries to delete the digital photo image J among the thumbnail-displayed digital photo images 350 will be explained.
The operator appropriately manipulates the cursor shifting key unit to focus the cursor on the process element “deletion” 354, and then, the execution key is depressed in this condition. As a result, the check box for the process element “deletion” 354 is selected and the check boxes for the process elements 351 to 353 are not selected. Further, the cursor shifting key unit is appropriately manipulated to focus the cursor on the digital photo image J, and then, the execution key is depressed in this condition. FIG. 18 is a view showing the control panel of the digital photo-album device in the condition that the check box for the process element “deletion” 354 is selected.
As a result, the digital photo image J is deleted.
As mentioned above, although the operator can utilize the higher function remotely, he is compelled to the complicated manipulation. Further, in the data transfer effected between the control device and the controlled device, since the amount of data to be transferred is increased, there arises a problem that the transferring time is increased.